Senior Project Officer

The Oncofetal Ecosystem lab is involved in research at the intersection of cancer genomics and immunology and is committed to the development of next generation of medical therapies. The research in the laboratory involves cutting edge single-cell and spatial transcriptomics technologies, bioinformatics, machine learning and innovative approaches for mRNA vaccine development. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 

The Senior Project Officer will assist with the development and implementation of projects in the Oncofetal Ecosystem Laboratory. The successful applicant will provide management, ethics and oversight to support the delivery of the program, including working closely with internal and external stakeholders. focusing on track record in cancer research, spatial transcriptomics, project management and grant writing 

Salary: Up to $120,000 + 12% super + salary packaging (depending on experience) 

Employment Type: 2-year fixed-term, full-time 

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS 

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom) 

• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development 

• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment 

• Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times  

• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave 

• Discounted Health Insurance 

• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners 

WHAT YOU WILL DO 

This will include assisting with the day to day running of the Oncofetal Ecosystem Laboratory. 

The key responsibilities include: 

Project Support and Tracking 

• Assists in developing and documenting project plans – ensuring that project needs have been clearly identified and translated into deliverables and timelines 

• Coordinate project activities across collaborating groups to ensure that projects are conducted on time and on budget 

• Assists in reviewing, monitoring and tracking progress towards completion of projects 

• Works with People Leader to coordinates changes in timelines, deliverables, budget 

• Carry out some hand-on experiments in the laboratory as and when required 

Communication 

• Participates in meetings, facilitates discussions, shares results, and manages agendas, data presentations and ideas for process improvement 

• Documents and communicates project status, deadlines and blocking issues to People Leader 

• Maintains close communications with Lab Heads/Centre Heads/People Leaders to facilitate flow of information between collaborating groups; answers basic questions 

Compliance & Funding 

• Track progress of key milestones. 

• Assist with the management of relevant Human Ethics and project reports 

• Ensure appropriate communication with all project stakeholders. 

• Initiate and facilitate project meetings. 

• Track the financial status of projects. 

• Assist with appropriate IRB. 

• Assist with future financial needs of projects. 

• All staff are required to comply with Garvan’s workplace polices (as amended from time to time) and especially Garvan’s Work Health & Safety (WHS) Policy, including working in accordance with the WHS management system at all times, as safety is Garvan’s number one priority. 
   

ABOUT YOU 

The key skills and experience include: 

• Demonstrated experience in program/project coordination/management, including the capacity to coordinate multiple projects on time and on budget, with a high degree of independence 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to lead the generation of reports and funding proposals, and give presentations 

• Enjoys grappling with complex scientific and organisational challenges 

• Highly organised and capable of managing a complex and dynamic workload with strong emotional quotient, and strong relationship management skills 

Desirable:   

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in project management and/or a related administrative discipline and clinical projects and biobanking. A PhD degree in biology/life sciences is highly desirable with 5+ years of experience in similar roles 

• A research or clinical background in biomedical sciences or oncology with previous experience in clinical trials 

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with all levels of staff and external contacts 

• Excellent organisational and time management skills 

• Must be able to use sound judgement to handle and prioritise a variety of tasks, and effectively anticipate and solve challenges 

• Ability to work in a fast-paced and challenging work environment and respond to shifting Priorities 

ABOUT GARVAN 

Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.  

Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome. 

We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease. 

Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.